Scene #5301:

Owner	Pose
Count Kord	Yveltal Peak. Nestled in a defensible location in the hills and mountains on the edge of Dragoni territory, this gothic castle structure is built into the mountains and strikes an unwelcoming shape into the otherwise picturesque landscape. The gate has been left open for the time being, with a pair of guards in light metal armor standing watch out front, going about their business. They don't seem to have the strict, disciplined postures of the military, but don't seem lazy either. Any visitors to the castle would get ushered in to the main hall, where Kord is currently seated at a table in a black suit possessing all the little white and red frills of a medieval count. His red hair is tied back away from his youthful Romanian features, his face adorned with the haphazard stubble of a man who can't really grow a full beard but can work with the smattering of crimson anyways. He's eating his dinner, apparently, and he isn't opposed to guests that identify themselves as part of the Concord. There are even extra seats if one wants to join him for dinner. It's a fairly ordinary meal. Meats, bread, some veggies... A few Zubats hiding in the rafters squeak at each other and flutter around, chased by a Murkrow that bounces across the wooden beams to terrorize the household invaders. A fireplace crackles to one side of the room, shining an orange light alongside all the orangeish-red gem lights that line the walls.
Echo	How Echo gets up to the peak dressed in evening wear and heels is anyone's guess. Perhaps she flies? We'll go with that. She does however seem quite... ENCHANTED with the surroundings. The atmosphere, the area, the air--the GLOOM--it was all just right. Now she just had to see who ran the place. She'd show right up at the front, and ask to be allowed in, saying she wanted to speak to the master of the house for some possible business. She could be a quite personable humanoid bat-lady, when she wanted to be, anyway. There is the sound of heels clattering over the castle's foyer as she arrives, looking upwards at the rafters and the squeaking--HI GUYS, HOWS THE HEALTHPLAN HERE?--she seems to find it all adorable. "Well hello there, tall dark and ginger," she bows her head as she spots Kord.
Count Kord	Kord looks up to acknowledge Echo before she speaks. He cranes his head, leaning in his seat in a conspicuous manner to note that she's wearing odd shoes, since the sound was different. Then he realizes she's wearing something that'd be considered incredibly formal where he's from, and the subdued facial expressions show a thoughtful air. "Welcome to Yveltal Peak," he says, and then he points with a fork toward one of the nearby chairs. "Sit." And he digs into his food more, failing to acknowledge that he was just called a 'ginger.' Terse response, but he seems pretty mellow. The Zubats flee rapidly out the front door once Echo walks in properly, the Murkrow chasing them out of the castle.
Echo	"Good evening, thank you for inviting me into your home," Echo smiles, her long ivory fangs showing over her red lipstick'd lips, then moves to take a seat. "Is that what it's called? it's lovely here!" she seems to think the place is just /darling/, well, come on--look at her! Every day is Halloween for Echo. As she sits down, of course, she crossed one long white-furred leg over the other, letting her heeled foot dangle a bit. "You have such lovely pets--or are they just wild that flew in?" she looked up and grinned at the Zubats chittering up there, which soon had fled out the door. "And you have such lovely crows! I think I just /love/ it here!" she grinned, sighing a little as she pressed her hands together, looking as if she adored the place. "Now then--do you require an assistant? I'm very talented," she says matter of factly.
Count Kord	Kord works on his meal while the anthropomorphic bat makes herself comfortable, and speaks up about the decor and the local wildlife as well as his pets. The Count nods as she speaks, listening to her while making sure to cram some potatoes into his face. A face full of sharp teeth, in fact, somewhat more predatory than the typical human. Not like a vampire, though. "The Murkrow is mine. The Zubats are pests, they get everywhere and stink up the castle if they aren't cleared out now and then." He doesn't realize the comparison that can be drawn to Echo's species, seeing very few of the apparent similarities. He hasn't even commented on it, actually, and seems to be taking it in stride. Being a practical man, he segues into business when it's clear that's what she's here for. "Can you clean? Cook? Garden? Do you have any personal skills that you feel the castle would benefit from?" he asks, one after the other, a snappy listing but clearly an honest inquiry, because he straightens in his seat and gives her a neutral gaze. "If you want to work here," he adds, "It is good that you enjoy the atmosphere. It does not get much brighter than this near the castle." It was overcast when she arrived, so...
Echo	Echo watches Kord as he eats, obviously he's not a vampire, she might be thinking, as she sits silent and grins a little, watching him eat. "Pests? well then!" she continues to smile a little, but looks just a tad surprised--the man's frankness was refreshing at least, it seemed! "Oh, I can do all those things, but I prefer to use undead servants for such, I'm a necromancer and enchanter, you see," she nodded. "Also I type 65 words per minute, am an /excellent/ dresser, if I say so myself--and I enjoy crafting magical trinkets and cursed objects," she grins.
Count Kord	Kord's expression seems to darken somewhat when Echo mentions she uses undead servants. It's only for a moment there, and he closes his inhuman eyes for a second to carefully clean his face with the napkin he set aside. He then smiles at her, and seems to take an interest, apparently having had to bite back a reflexive response if that recovery was any indication. "You dress better than anyone from THIS world," he points out, which would include him. He goes on and says, "Do you require corpses to animate for your necromancy? What purpose do your trinkets serve?" His deep voice is still as mellow as before, though it's friendlier now that he's smiling. Evidently he liked something about what she said.
Echo	"I find them, you wouldn't need to worry about where I find a specter, skeleton or zombie, or the like," Echo shakes her head. "As for trinkets--I am fond of making cursed baubles and objects--in the style of the monkey's paw--have you heard of it? A device that can grant wishes but perverts them in a sinister fashion against the user--like makeup that makes someone beautiful while hardening their thoughts and emotions to the outside, those sorts of things," Echo smiles. "I'm fond of costume pieces or attire that forces the wearer to behave in the role said attire was designed for, myself--but I like turning girl's combs into devices that leave their hair lustrous while dimming their intelligence," she snickers a little. "/THAT/ trick never quite gets old, let me tell you," she waggles a white-furred finger tipped with a red claw.
Count Kord	A slow, rolling laugh emerges from Kord as she explains what she likes to do. His deep voice is... well, he sounds vaguely Romanian, he's a Count, and he lives in a dark castle, and he looks slightly monstrous. Ominous barely covers it. Kord likes what she's selling here. And then he slaps his hand on the table and stands up. The silverware rattles. "ANDREI!!" he bellows, and a haggard soldier scurries from down a hallway elsewhere in the castle. He comes to a halt at the end of the table and stands at a stiff posture. He looks young, maybe in his late teens. A Houndour follows him, scampering almost like mimicking his attitude entirely. "Prepare a room for our guest to stay at when she works with us." Andrei salutes and says, "Yes, My Count," and he turns his head to look to Echo-- "Yveltal's tailfeathers, are you some kinda swoobat woman--" "Andrei," Kord says, tiredly, SO tiredly, because he had avoided commenting on it. "Prepare the room. Now." Once the soldier runs off again, Kord sits back down and looks at Echo. He raises his brows as his thoughts collect again. "Your name?" he asks, having not been interested in it at all until just now. He's beaming at this point, excited to have her around the castle. "Your full name," he clarifies, "For my documents."
Echo	"What's a swoo--" she is cut off from the man ordering the soldier on. She will have ~questions~ about that later, but for the time being she doesn't seem necessarily bothered by it. "Thank you, I hope we can come to some kind of workable agreement and are able to work together amicably," Echo nodded. "I'm Echo Lacroix, you can just call me Echo, of course, sir," she nodded a little, her leg crossed over the other uncrossed before crossing again, leaning back in the chair. "I take it you like my resume, then? Good!" she grins, fangily.
Count Kord	"A Swoobat is a psychic bat, a symbol of love and affection. One of the few species in Bayern that aren't dangerous," Kord explains smoothly enough, "They only grow to full size when nurtured by a trainer. You can find them in some of the local caverns." "... so take it as a compliment," he adds, and then moves on, "I can find many uses for your talents. There is an abundance of corruption in the nobility of Bayern that can use the harsh lesson of a curse. It is a useful flavor of cruelty." He leans back in his chair and crosses his own leg over the other, his hands clasping in his lap. He tilts his head, thoughtfully considering for another second or three. "I will pay you in a sum of gold coins mined from the local mountains, or gemstones of the same origin that may be sold as you will. For simply working regularly at the castle, I expect you will be able to live comfortably anywhere, but the room will still be kept comfortable if you need it. Individual tasks will be assigned to you when needed, and you will be compensated for acting independently in Bayern, as long as you act within the interests of Dragoni and the Concord and benefit us in some way." "I will need a demonstration of your skills before the signing of any contracts."
Echo	"Aw, how cute--I see," Echo smiles at that, nodding a little. "I take it to a lonely soldier I might look like an icon of love and affection," she snerks a little, raising her brows as Kord begins to speak. "I also am capable of hypnotism, if you were to need anyone given a.... attitude adjustment, of sorts," she nods. "It's not quite my specialty, but, I've observed some success with it in the past," she straightened up a bit. "Oh?" she inclined her head politely as he asked for a demonstration. "What manner of demonstration do you require, then, sir? I understand I'll be working as an independent agent of yours, and all," she uncrossed her legs and moves to stand, heels clicking against the floor. "Do tell what you'd like to see," she nods.
Count Kord	Kord gets up to a stand once more, and adjusts his coat some. "Let's see if we can find someone that needs an ... attitude adjustment," he says, turning to walk away and find his personal records.